Perhaps I should stop spoiling the guide but update!
[size=18pt]2. Your first Steps
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[size=14pt]2.1 A weapon
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(John thinking about wepons)
So you don’t have a weapon and considering the situations of things outside, it will be much more intelligent to get one. Thankfully this predicament can be fixed by creatively using the materials found in the evac shelter or by using the tools you brought in less orthodox ways. Depending on your play style and tastes, you might prefer to use:
(Nailboard)
A heavy melee weapon: Slow but strong hitters, the high damage outputs of this type of weapons works great for clearing small groups and enemies that can easily outrun you. Most also have defensive rolls like parries and blocks and usually offer some specialized attacks. Due to their already somewhat slow swings, they don’t suffer as strongly from encumbrance as light weapons and it is often a good idea to wear some armor to protect yourself as you hit. From the starting shelter you can make the following heavy weapons knife spear, nailboard (each linked to a illustrated recipe and a brief description of each weapon).
(Crowbar)
A fast melee weapon: even though they have a considerably reduced damage, their fast attack times open the possibility of hit and run strategies. Characters using fast melee weapons can’t really afford the encumbrance of strong armor and must instead rely on sheer strategy and their dodging skill to avoid being hit. From the starting shelter you can only make a crowbar but some professions also start with the following fast melee weapons: wrench, hammer, glock 19, golf club, hockey stick, butcher knife. (again linked)
(Spikes n rocks)
Throwing items: Miscellaneous small things that do more than 10 damage of any kind and even more preferably have piercing or cutting as main attacks. Throwing items is a by far the faster ranged attack and is ideal for fighting quick enemies and weakening strong enemies before they enter melee range. While throwing might seem pathetically weak at first, once you level up must thrown things will do more damage than a normal hit with a 9mm. Simple rocks are very good throwing material, but you can also make the following throwing items from the shelter: spikes, bayonets, pointy sticks, knife spears and wood spears. When choosing your throwing item you’ll have to decide between powerful but larger items that can only be carried a few at a time and weaker but small items you can saturate with. (links)
(Self bow)
A Ranged weapon: ranged weapons obviously offer the possibility to solve problems from comfortable distances using a ranged weapon is generally the safest way to approach any situation but might put you at risk when combating fast or hard to hit enemies. At the start of the game ranged weapons are composed of bows and the occasional crossbow which can be easily crafted or found. From the start you can get a self bow and some wooden shafts and at the risk of some damage can get a crossbow with a single shot from disarming a trap.
(links)
Regardless of whatever weapon you choose, know that what really makes the difference is not the tool but its wielder and that if you keep your head cold and play your cards right, any type of weapon is going to take you where you want to go and beyond.
[size=14pt]2.2 The basement
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You have probably already noticed that there are stairs leading to the basement in the middle of the room, even though it may not seem most of the time, the room has one of the best loot lists in the game (link to loot lists). It could contain all the surviving equipment (link to what you should take chapter of looting section) you may want and could potential save you from a lot of looting for those fabled tents and water purifiers. Even if the start basement is completely empty it never takes much time to look out.
[size=14pt]2.3 Where to go? What to do?
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Now that your inventory is for now settled down, it is a great moment to bring up your map up. Depending on your luck, there may be micro towns and small lakes around your shelter or you could find yourself surrounded by the spawn areas of triffids fungaloids and ants (each linked to the mass monster spawners in what to avoid chapter). On this randomly generated map depends what survival approach you should take and more.
[size=14pt]2.2.1 The common starting maps:[/size]
[size=12pt]The no danger map
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[/center]The no danger map has well nothing really worth noting when i comes to dangers. A part of a city with some shops is revealed and other than that the map consist mostly of forest and plains. This type of map poses not imminent danger that should be avoided and small residential parts of the city are safe to be looted. The wilderness around you is ideally for low risk hunting trips and occasionally buildings (like the sewage treatment plant in this case) that make good home bases might spawn near you. This is the most common spawn and is ideal when you are starting out, as the map is well suited for whatever survival approach you wish to take, eventually and if things go right, your character will be forced to build a vehicle and search for new horizons to explore.
[size=12pt]The dangerous map
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[/center]This map is often very similar to the nothing special map with just a single, small but very important difference: a mass enemy spawner is in the area and be it slimes, fungaloids, giant ants or triffids such a high amount of foes is not under your ability to handle and make exploring the nearby town a suicide mission. When confronted with this situation is often wiser to adapt yourself to a wanderer character and It is better to leave the surrounding area as fast as you can, if enabled, the starting NPC will distract nearby enemies to give you an opportunity to escape, make the sacrifice worth it. If possible, follow a road and hope it will take you to a better town.
[size=12pt]The Intercity spawn
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[/center]In an intercity spawn your shelter is often located somewhere between the road connecting to big cities with very few wilderness around. This spawn is very challenging and you might prefer to avoid it when starting but if you think you can manage the high number of zombies close by, you can a turn into a settler and dedicate your time to fortify your home base and looting the cities, this exploration should proceed in a very careful way, as you don’t really have a safe haven to retreat after being severely injured. Character in this spawn end to have very short lifespan if not played in a careful way and you may be interested in obtaining a vehicle and escaping to safer zones as fast as you can.
[size=12pt]The river spawn
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[/center]Very similar to a nothing special map with the addition of having a river conveniently nearby this spawn guarantees an infinite source of drinking water and is ideal for settler character, however don’t make your home base too close to the river shores and always keep your distance r unless you are going to collect water as you risk being attacked by nasty swamp critters. Usually swamps are also located near this spawn, which pose several risks and are to be avoided as much as possible. This spawn poses no risk if you play in classic mode, as swamp creatures are disabled.
So do you like it? Is it clear enough? It sucks?
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